Tips for getting organised with school routines, meals, budgeting and housework

[Chaoshastakenover]

After a very chaotic 12months where I have just literally muddled through I’m determined to get us on the straight and narrow dc are back to school this week so I need help with routines .. I don’t want to be scrabbling around in the morning for uniforms chucking together last minute packed lunches that sort of thing so I would like tips and tricks to get our life’s running smoothly.. so stuff to help with budgeting easyish tea’s housework routines stuff like that please

-I get the uniforms ready and laid out for the dc for the whole week on a Sunday. If you don’t have 5 sets of uniform just do 2 or 3 whatever you have.

-make packed lunches the night before

-I have a physical diary, lists stuck to the fridge. I stick a note on back of front door if there’s something I really can’t forget as well!

-my diary can be linked to my phone calendar which is handy so I can see what I have to do / set alarms

-batch cooking at weekends

-I like to get up at 630 am on school days so set alarms at 620,630 and one at 640 in case I don’t get up!

-we do bath and into PJs as soon as they home and they have early tea. Always something quick and easy such as
-pesto pasta with salad
-bolognese or chilli (from batch cooking)
-pizza
-fish fingers and vegetables etc etc just quick easy stuff.

Finances I’ve made as much as possible direct debit payments all on the same day (the day I get UC) so that all bills are taken care of.

edited to add - I have Asd and adhd so the lists and organisation are vital ! I think my asd actually helps me manage the adhd if that makes sense so grateful that I have it tbh as otherwise I don’t think I’d manage at all.

Would sorting uniforms the night before they are needed help. If you have a weekly plan of days when sports kit are needed that might help. Chat GPT can help with budgeting and meal planning. If not Aldi website can help meal planning .There is a lot of info on you tube about economical meals.

Big weekly planner on the fridge, and everybody gets their own section/pen colour.

It was essential for knowing which days who needed PE kit, football boots, musical instrument, food ingredients, money, packed lunch, or whatever.

1. Shared family calendar with everything on it.
2. We go through the weeks calendar at dinner on Sunday so no one can claim they didn't know what was happening.
3. Monthly Meal Plan, so that job has to be done less frequently.
4. Shopping delivery weekly, easy to do with the meal plan.
5. Use Alexa list function as the shopping list for things that have run out around the house, then add to the food shop once a week.
6. Standard Saturday jobs that each member of the family is expected to do (although that still takes a lot of reminders!)
7. A small tub of petty cash kept by the front door for emergency mufti days and milk!
8. School lunch money out on Parent Pay once a term.
9. Washing done through the week, ironing all on a Sunday.

Thankyou all so much I’ve replaced my slow cooker so will be trying to use that as much as possible I’ve also got an air fryer I have bought 5 sets of uniform so I’m not watching the washing machine on a night I have bought a diary so need to start using that. I should get pe days in an email today so I’ll hopefully be able to mark those down. I think showers would be better for the dc as I know they will get there whole body wet instead of the bottom half sat in the tub. If the dc have there tea straight from getting in they will need supper probably so would cereal or toast something like that be ok

I’m going to set my alarm for 6 as dd2 doesn’t like the noise of the hoover so I need to get the downstairs hoovered before she wakes up.. also bedding I have a king size a double and 3 singles I can’t wash and dry the whole lot in one day when the colder weather comes shall I wash each bedding set on their own days? I do need extra sets just in case I can’t get this done don’t I?

I find it hard to get the bedding done in one day as don’t have a separate dryer and the machine is small. I hate leaving the bed unmade in the morning because I then forget about it until I go to bed and then evening me hates morning me. Much better to put a set on straightaway.

I don’t use cash so finding coins for charity and non uniform days is a pain. We used to get lots of invites to bowling parties where there was an arcade so I used to change up notes there to keep for these things.

@FairActivitySplit- how do you link your diary to your phone? I love my paper diary but need to move into using a phone calendar too

How old are the children and do you/your partner work etc. helpful to know so can think about what else might be useful

Check out the Get Organized HQ website. They are an American duo that, amongst their daily blogs and posts run a week long virtual conference with videos featuring tips and tricks for exactly what you are after as well as how to declutter and more. You just pick and choose the videos you want to watch. Average video time is about 25 minutes.There is a free access pass and a paid one. I attended free last year and am doing so again this year. I got so much out of it. It starts September 14 (US time). Its well worth it.

Dc16 14 9 2 I don’t work 3 children have autism and ADHD so getting a routine is key for us.., I definitely need a change pot I need one for the car aswell as ds9 school sometimes have after school bun sales or raffles etc I hate using my card as I just get tap happy.. I’ve done my budget on chat gpt I’ve written it down roughly but will move to diary properly.. I will have a look online for extra bedding sets

Uniform sorted into the unit in the hallway. Each have their own small drawer for underwear and socks, and then one for uniforms. They just have to get it out in morning.

High school kids pack their pe kits night before
Shoes in a separate tub in the shoe cupboard so no scrabbling around.
Set of drawers in the shoe cupboard- one for bookbag, paperwork and anything the high school kids need to take. Other is for hats, scarves, gloves etc, and suncream in summer.

Magnetic whiteboard calendar on fridge

We dont meal.plan but discuss with husband while we are eating tea what we are having the next day so we get anything we need out of freezer etc

Washing put in and timer set I can get it out first thing

Kids do the washing up and drying up and putting away

Breakfast club for primary kid even though they dont need to - it is free here. Saves faffing about wirh cereals etc in morning, and with a 20 mile drive to school, we avoid the main bit of rush hour and im home by 8.45. Also means I dont have to battle with parking at school or hanging around. Older kids take breakfast with them

Whiteboard calendar on fridge

Kids have set chores on set days

Eldest is home educated so while im doing school run he runs the vacuum round the lounge and hall and mops when needed.

Showers at night

Box with bobbles, clips and brush in in the tc stand drawers so can grab and do 7yo hair.

Cashless schools so I always look on the Friday when husband gets paid and pay anything then or top up dinner money accounts.

Primary kids get fsm in wales so she has school dinners. Older two get dinner money- packed lunches might be cheaper but it takes the stress away and that is a hit im willing to take.

Empty the school bags as soon as they get home in the evening to check for notes from school. You don't want to find at 8.30am the following morning that they need wellies or something. Then put the bags back in the same place every time.
If they have school dinners then pay for a month's worth on your payday.

Re bedding- we have 6 of us and dont have a dryer. I dont wash it all in one go unless it is the summer and I can hang it all out. In winter just do one bed at a time and we have plenty of bedding.same with towels - have absolutely loads so if im struggling to get washing dry we always have plenty.

I used to make 5 peanut butter & jam sandwiches at the weekend then freeze them. Nine times out of 10 this was what they’d choose for school lunch, so I could take one out each morning & it stayed fresh as they defrosted until lunchtime. Lazy maybe but I found it a real chore making the same sandwich 5 times a week. All that left to do was add fruit, crisps and a biscuit in the lunchbox x

Oh, and robot hoovers

My diary was from WHSmith and I didn’t realise when I got it that you could link it to the letts of London reminder app each page has a QR code it’s been so handy as I LOVE my paper diary but also need reminders !!

id picked it for the pattern on the cover so it was a nice surprise 😂

I did wonder about pre making sandwiches how long would they save in the fridge

Any other adults in the house?

The 16, 14 and 9 year old can have their own chores and if you aren’t working and can share chores with another adult it sounds like a doddle.

Not clear why now is different to the last time 16 years, really. Bedding probably doesn’t need washing as much as you think it does.

Most schools have banned peanuts.

The 3 older children can take responsibility for any notes, although don’t most schools use communication apps nowadays?

Have your own clothes ready for the morning, it means it’s one less thing to think about! I have to add I remember a game changer being a lady on mn saying she doesn’t mind a chaotic morning if she gets a sit down the night before instead of running about right until bedtime. She said there’ll always be chaos so she just accepts it!! It blew my mind and has made me decide to just sit down on more than one occasion!

I have at least 5 sets of uniform so no mid week washing.
School dinners - so no faffing with packed lunches
Monthly calendar on wall so can update activities etc - we have an extracurricular most days.
Meal plan - Im on & off with this, will use Gousto for the next few months.

Going against the grain but I find uniform organising a needless job. My children have an underwear drawer and a uniform drawer. There have never been any issues with them dressing themselves from piles of t-shirts, trousers, pants etc in these 2 drawers. They are both autistic and have exec function issues but they have never needed me to do any more sorting than putting their clothes in their drawers. Better yet the older ones should be able to put their own clothes away, which is easier if it's just "school t shirts go in the uniform drawer" etc.

Bedding why not do adults' bedding one week and kids' the next? Just for a couple of months if you like and see how it goes? I like to do other laundry in a big blast and keep 5 days a week laundry free.

I keep ready cut flavoured bagels in the freezer. If there's no bread I just toast them for lunchboxes. If cinnamon and raisin they just need butter, sour cream & chive just butter or add some cheese. One brand, either New York or Warburton's pre slice them. People will say terrible UPFs I know. Fruit - tinned or Dole pots as a back up when you run out of fresh.

One of your older two may be able to manage their own laundry. Doing their own is a much smaller task than learning to do household laundry. Give them a day a week or an evening a week when the machine is theirs. Mine does her darks which is 90% of her clothes and bungs her lights in the family basket.

Meal planning and a weekly shop is the one thing that makes a huge difference to so many things. Saves money, saves brain space, speeds up evenings, sorts out packed lunch question